Ann Arbor DDA to present plans for Library Lot underground parking structure

At least 500 new parking spaces are in the works in downtown Ann Arbor now that the Ann Arbor Downtown Development Authority plans to build a huge underground parking garage next to the Ann Arbor District Library’s main branch.

The DDA is expected to approve the plans today so they can be sent to city officials for review. The City Council is expected to vote on the plan later this year.

The parking structure will provide between 500 and 650 parking spaces on what is currently a large surface parking lot on Fifth Avenue. Options for the parking garage under consideration include: preferred parking for fuel-efficient vehicles, extending the garage underneath Fifth Avenue, and incorporating both energy efficient LED lighting and natural lighting.

The DDA hired two firms, Walker Parking Consultants and Luckenbach/Ziegelman Architects, to design the three-story underground structure. It is also trying to purchase a few homes adjacent to the parking lot to complete the half-block parcel next to the Ann Arbor District Library. City officials are still debating what to put above the underground structure but there are reports of plans for a small convention center.
 
Source: Susan Pollay, executive director of the Ann Arbor Downtown Development Authority
Writer: Jon Zemke